Illuminati
The feared Illuminati, the so-called Enlightened Ones, are a renegade branch of the Orders of Alchemy, they broke from the Creator-led federation of scholars and scientists to form their own occult group, specializing in alchemy and the replication of the Creator's power. Along the way they've amassed a formidable amount of resources, investments and contacts, everything from black market syndicates to illegal brokering and political blackmailing. The Illuminati of today are upper-class, elite occultists and magisters whose secrecy is matched only by their influence. The Illuminati have managed to thrive for so long because they rarely get their hands dirty. The Illuminati act through intermediaries and external sources of power. The Schism: The Illuminati began as a branch of the Orders of Alchemy, loyal to the Order of Creators from whom they take their heritage of faith and science intermixed. For some time they worked alongside the Creators, learning the secrets of Creating and the knowledge of alchemy. In time the Illuminati came to be the public face of the Orders of Alchemy. Their membership included several published scientists and innovative thinkers of the time. Building up connections with both the common people and the ruling classes, the Illuminati for a time enjoyed the public spotlight. Liberators of knowledge and seekers of progress. And then the Schism came. In time, members of the Church who felt that innovative ideas threatened their beliefs challenged the Illuminati. Through their own networks of influence and power they portrayed the Magisters of the Illuminati as magicians and charlatans, practitioners of the worst kinds of witchcraft. Afraid more of public scorn and alienation than truth, the people sided with the enemies of the Illuminati. In the resulting aftermath, the Illuminati were persecuted. Known members were imprisoned and put on public trials, more faux justice than anything else, or exiled to the ends of the earth. Those who ran or went to ground were hunted down. In a few instances they were killed outright. The result of the Schism was a dramatic shift in the nature of the Illuminati. They became darker, some became violent and vindictive. These darker elements of the Illuminati came to the forefront and in time they fractured from their parent networks, ultimately turning their backs on the Creator Adepts. Light & Darkness Within The Illuminati: Today the Illuminati are divided between two competing ideological factions, those who want revenge, and a small group who simply wish to be left alone. Sadly, the only ones an Adept are probably going to run into are going to be members of the darker elements of the Enlightened Ones. During the Schism, many elements within the Church threatened and attacked the Illuminati. But many elements in the Church also came to their defense. Not least of which were the Creators themselves. There is a hope among some Illuminati that the day may come when they and their estranged kin, the Alchemists and Creators, can be reunited. But no Illuminati wants anything to do with the Church. They have become too accustomed to dealing in the shadows and backrooms of the world. Infiltration: The Illuminati's preferred method of attack is through the slow and methodical infiltration of the enemy's infrastructure. They are patient and willing to commit themselves to a prolonged project. Those who oppose the Illuminati should expect to find themselves attacked by enemies from without who are lead to their front door, and attacked from within by seemingly random acts of treason and sabotage. Subgroups And Affiliates: The Illuminati are a network of individuals and groups united by a common heritage and set of principles. And usually a goal, a very dark goal of revenge. But more to the point, the network of the Illuminati is less like a snake and more like a hydra. No matter how many heads you kill, there's always another head waiting for you. -New World Order -Sacre Ordo